A man who wants something will find a way;
a man who doesn't will find an excuse.
~ Stephen Dolley Jr.
Uh, Stephen, there are women who feel that way, as well. Harumph.
Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.
(Bonus points if you know who said that. Probably too easy for this crowd!)
I want to lose weight. That's the "something." And I've been trying all kinds of ways, since childhood. Liquid diets, Ayds candies (they could never get away with calling them 'Ayds' nowadays!), Weight Watchers, a packaged food program that has since gone by the wayside, gyms (several!), going sugar-free (for five years) and running, among other methods and plans and schemes.
What I've learned for me (meaning it might not apply to you) is that – regarding food – each method works for a while. And then it doesn't work any more or, more accurately, I don't work it any more. None of those methods is sustainable over the long haul.
That's why I'm so happy to finally adopt a method of eating that centers on real food, home- or locally grown (for the most part) and home-cooked. Once in a great, great while I want to eat in a restaurant – a real restaurant where a member of the waitstaff presents food to me at a table, not the kind where a teenager hands me a bag through a window. But nearly all of my meals are served at home, by me and eaten with gratitude for the work that went into the raising, growing, preparing and cooking.
That it hasn't (so far) resulted in weight loss is not an excuse. I'm still searching for The Way, and I realize, after all these years, that The Way has to sustain me physically and emotionally. I need my food to satisfy my soul as well as my nutritional needs.
I'm maintaining my weight, within a couple of pounds, and have been since the first of the year. I've been monitoring my progress (or lack thereof) every two or three days, and will officially weigh in April 1. I'm not looking for excuses, just answers. My tenacity surprises even me.
2 comments:
"I'm not looking for excuses, just answers. My tenacity surprises even me."
You've perfectly summarized the past 4 years of my life.
My current theory (which I've subscribed to much of the time) is that I simply don't get enough activity to offset even normal eating. Appetite and caloric need are not perfectly synched, and I suspect there's a certain level of intake I can't go below, physically and psychologically, regardless of whether that's the amount of fuel I need to run my body.
Both of us are workout mavens, in our own ways, but I still consider that I'm very VERY sedentary - I do so little physical activity beyond those workouts. It's a very artificial lifestyle that I don't think our bodies (mine anyway) are designed for.
Diet is always the first thing to look at, but over the years I've become more convinced that it's only part of the picture. Exercise is another part, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were seven or eight other factors equally important.
Well as we've both said before, I'm sorry you go through the same crap I do, but I'm glad to have the company.
I like the new motif on your blog!
Your tenacity is quite impressive - and inspiring. And maintaining weight for any length of time - even if it's not the weight you want to be at - is no small accomplishment either. It could so easier be going the other direction.
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